High Martial: I Grind Professions

Gazing in the direction where the flash of lightning had vanished, Marquis Qingyuan and the other two fell silent once more.

The Marquis surnamed Li wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his voice raspy with disbelief.

"That speed... it's simply inhuman. No wonder the Venerables rely on him so heavily, entrusting him with reinforcing battlefields thousands of miles apart."

"Indeed," said the Marquis surnamed Wang, looking at his own slightly trembling hand—an aftershock from overexerting his power.

"If he hadn't arrived in time, the three of us today would have likely..."

He didn't finish the sentence, just let out a heavy sigh. His eyes were filled with the relief of surviving a close call and a deep awe for Li Wen's strength.

Marquis Qingyuan took a deep breath to suppress his roiling vital energy, his gaze sharpening once more.

"Enough of that. Defending Xihu City is our top priority. Junior Brother Li has gone to save others, so we can't afford to slack off. Recover quickly, clear the battlefield, and prepare for the next assault!"

The three immediately rallied their spirits and began directing the fortress garrison to manage the aftermath.

The defenses were reinforced, yet the tense atmosphere did not lessen in the slightest with Li Wen's departure.

...

Meanwhile, in a secret conference room within the core nest of the Shadow Organization.

Wujing Demon Saint was still seated on the metal throne that symbolized supreme authority.

But now, the all-controlling confidence on his face was long gone.

All that remained was a grim expression and an irrepressible, shocked fury.

His pupils, glowing with a faint green light, were locked onto the massive, floating virtual light map before him.

The map clearly displayed a real-time simulation of the battle situations across Blue Star.

Countless points of light representing the Demon Race were being extinguished, silently and rapidly, in entire swathes at a speed far exceeding his expectations.

The extinguishment of each point of light signified the utter demise of a demon.

"Demon soldiers and demon generals... it matters not how many of them die. The Demon Realm has plenty of cannon fodder."

Wujing Demon Saint's voice was terrifyingly low, as if he were suppressing a volcano on the verge of eruption.

"But those one thousand Demon Kings! They were dispatched to Blue Star at a great cost, forcibly conscripted and sent in."

His finger nearly poked through the light map as he pointed at the large, dimming areas, especially the location of Xihu City.

"Xihu City! Another eight Demon Kings lost their signals at almost the exact same time! And that includes two peak Demon Kings! How is this possible?!

Where did the Human Race get the power for such swift and precise reinforcements? Their King-level combatants are clearly tied down at the major core fortresses!"

Wujing Demon Saint snapped his head up, his bone-chilling gaze sweeping over the few Shadow Division heads seated to the left of the conference table.

The lead division head, who wore a dragon-shaped mask, had a normally steady posture that now appeared somewhat unnatural.

"You of the Shadow Division!" Wujing Demon Saint's voice suddenly rose, filled with an undeniable accusation.

"What the hell are you good for?! Where is the intelligence on the Human Race? The surveillance? Tell me, why has the Human Race suddenly been able to organize such an efficient counterattack?

Where did their reinforcements come from? Looking at the speed and scope of these lights going out,

it's as if the Human Race has conjured dozens of mobile King-level powerhouses out of thin air! Where are your records? Your analysis?!"

The eyes behind the dragon-masked division head's mask flickered, and his voice carried a deep confusion and gravity.

"Lord Demon Saint, please calm your anger. This matter... is indeed incomprehensible. We in the Shadow Organization have the most detailed files and real-time surveillance on all of the Human Race's known King-level gods and demons,

including their abilities, movements, and garrisoned areas.

According to our analysis, it should be impossible for the Human Race to mobilize such powerful reinforcements across multiple secondary battlefields in such a short time.

This speed of reinforcement and kill efficiency exceeds everything within our existing records and understanding. Unless...

Unless the Human Race has played some trump card we were completely unaware of, or a new, unimaginably powerful expert has emerged in an extremely short period."

He paused for a moment, as if to process this unsettling speculation, before continuing,

"We will immediately launch a top-level emergency investigation and activate all our sleeper agents.

We will find out the source and truth behind these abnormal reinforcements in the shortest time possible, no matter the cost!"

"Investigate! I want it investigated immediately, right now, at any cost!"

Wujing Demon Saint slammed his hand on the armrest of his throne, and the incredibly sturdy special-alloy armrest instantly twisted and deformed.

Demonic flames danced in his eyes, a mixture of irritation and a barely perceptible trace of unease.

"I want to see concrete intelligence before sunset! Get out!"

"Yes, sir!" The dragon-masked division head dared not delay for even a second. His virtual projection vanished on the spot, clearly off to mobilize the vast intelligence network of the Shadow Organization.

The only sounds left in the conference room were Wujing Demon Saint's heavy breathing and the red dots on the virtual map that continued to flicker and die out. Each extinguished light was like a heavy hammer blow to his heart.

...

In a quaint pavilion on the rear mountain of Enlightenment Peak, at Xin Huo University.

The atmosphere here was just as grave, but unlike the furious rage in the Shadow Organization's nest, this place was filled with a deep sense of compassion and solemnity.

Venerable Xingxuan's true body sat cross-legged, flanked by the virtual projections of the white-haired Headmaster Ye Qin and Venerable Gu He.

Before the three of them, a massive energy light screen was also unfurled in the empty air, displaying a summary of the battle situation and casualty statistics from the Human Race's perspective.

On the screen, green areas representing victory were expanding, while the red representing the Demon Race's forces was shrinking.

Overall, the number of Demon Race casualties far exceeded that of the Human Race by severalfold. This should have been an encouraging battle report.

However, there wasn't the slightest hint of relief on the faces of the three peak experts of the Human Race.

Venerable Xingxuan stared at the constantly scrolling list of the fallen in a corner of the screen. Each new name on it represented a Marquis Level expert who had shed their last drop of blood for the Human Race.

His profound eyes revealed deep sorrow and pity as he said in a low voice,

"More names have been added... Fifteen Marquis Level experts have already been sacrificed."

Behind every name was a large family, countless comrades-in-arms, and a heavy burden of responsibility.

"War always comes at a price."

Headmaster Ye Qin's voice was low and steady, carrying a calmness born from long experience. His gaze was like a torch, as if it could pierce the light screen and see the places where they had fallen.

"Their blood was not shed in vain. They fought for the continuation of the entire Human Race; they are true heroes. The people of Blue Star will forever remember their names and their deeds.

Compared to the price the Demon Race has paid, especially the loss of nearly a thousand Demon Kings, our casualties... were the lowest possible."

Venerable Gu He nodded slightly, his gaze more far-sighted.

"After this battle, the Demon Race will have suffered a grievous blow and will have been taught a painful lesson. Demon Kings are not fearless. After this,

even if the Demon Emperors want to organize another surprise attack of this scale in the future, the Demon Kings will surely be resistant and will just go through the motions.

Forcing them to act will yield greatly diminished results. This, perhaps, can buy us more time to breathe and develop."

Venerable Xingxuan sighed silently. His gaze shifted from the list of the fallen to the many fiercely flashing battle nodes on the light screen.

Finally, it settled on the areas that had been quickly pacified, a testament to Li Wen's astonishing reinforcement efficiency. His voice carried a faint trace of hope,

"Let's hope so. I hope this catastrophe ends soon."

Outside the pavilion, the mountains of Enlightenment Peak were silent, save for the soft rustle of the wind through the treetops, as if offering a silent prayer for the distant fires of war.

The virtual projections and the true body of the three Venerables, like three silent mountains, continued to watch the shifting tides of the battlefield that would decide the fate of Blue Star.

The rosy evening clouds were like blood smeared across the sky. Under the afterglow of the setting sun, the land was a scene of utter devastation.

The remains of human warriors and demon soldiers were mixed among shattered ramparts and scorched earth. Congealed blood stained the soil, emitting a thick, metallic stench.

This cruel war that swept across all of Blue Star seemed to have moved even the heavens themselves.

In the June sky, snowflakes actually began to fall.

The pure white snowflakes, stained with gunpowder smoke and dust, even carried a faint, lingering scent of blood. They drifted down, landing upon the still-warm battlefield, covering the sacrifices and the scars alike.

Inside the Changning City Stargate fortress, soldiers silently cleared the battlefield and bandaged their wounds.

Li Wen stood on high ground, frowning slightly as he watched the strange and desolate celestial phenomenon.

Snowflakes landed on his shoulders, bringing a slight chill and an ominous premonition.

The fortress's energy shield flickered unsteadily after the fierce battle, illuminating the weary yet resolute figures below.

The fortress had been held, but the price was suffocatingly heavy.

His powerful Divine Sense could clearly perceive the dead silence and sorrow permeating the air, as well as the demonic energy still lurking deep underground in the distance, like a venomous snake.

The war was not over; it had merely entered a more hidden and perilous stage.

...

Meanwhile, in the luxurious yet oppressive conference room deep within the Shadow Organization's core, subterranean nest, the atmosphere had dropped to freezing.

Wujing Demon Saint stood before the enormous tactical projection screen, his face thunderous.

On the screen, the yellow dots of light representing the Demon Kings, once as dense as the stars, had now all but withered away. Only a hundred or so scattered points were still faintly flickering.

And the green dots representing demons below the Demon King level were being extinguished in vast swathes, like candle flames swept away by a gale.

This scene declared that the Demon Race's long-plotted, all-out "Celestial Fall Plan"—the highest contingency of a full-scale invasion—had ended in utter and complete failure.

An unprecedented defeat for the Demon Race.

They had lost, and it was a crushing defeat.

After several hours of frantic searching and analysis, which had cost the Shadow Organization its last trump cards, he had finally uncovered the key reason behind this disastrous defeat.

In a corner of the projection screen, an encrypted intelligence report was magnified: the Human Race had gained nearly thirty new King-level gods and demons.

This number struck Wujing's heart like a heavy sledgehammer.

What sent an even colder chill through his heart was the last line of the report, confirming that the Human Race had a new top-tier Venerable Level combatant: Venerable Gu He.

"Venerable Gu He..." Wujing Demon Saint mulled over the name, a deep sense of dread flashing in his cold, serpentine eyes, only to be replaced by a sliver of relief, as if he had just survived a disaster.